Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: limited-access events in common space

[Kristen Simmons (simmonskristen]

> One of the things cohousing is about is inclusion, especially in the
> common house.
>
> And it's one reason people move into cohousing -- exclusivity isn't a
> value.

I would love to hear more about this from members of other
communities. What may be exclusive to some is considered privacy by
others.

Is this how most communities manage the common house? Are all events
required to be open to the entire community? (Maybe I'm misreading,
and if so, I apologize. I know that this is part of a longer thread,
and I haven't gone back and read all of it.)

As part of a forming community, we do talk about the common house as
being an extension of one's home, and how one can have a smaller home
because of this. We also talk about how sharing resources, which
includes community spaces, is something we really value. It's actually
part of my group's vision statement. We haven't yet talked about what
rules there will be for use of the community space. I've always
imagined being able to host parties in the dining room, including
personal parties like a bridal shower for a friend.There would be no
reason for me to downsize to a smaller place, if I couldn't
occasionally have exclusive use of the large common room.

A community (and cohousing in general, if this is a requirement) would
have less appeal to me if my only option was to include everyone in
everything that I do. It's ironic, actually. I tend to be a very
inclusive person, so I most likely would make anything that I do open
to others. But the thought of being told that I must do so really
bristles.